{{short description|Papua New Guinean weightlifter}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Fred Oala | image = | fullname = Fred Karoho Oala | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|09|12|df=y}} | birth_place = | years_active = | height = | country = {{flagu|Papua New Guinea}} | sport = Weightlifting | weight_class = 56 kg, 62 kg, 69 kg | pb = | club = | team = National team | coach = | retired = | show-medals = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's weightlifting}} {{MedalCountry|{{PNG}}}} {{MedalComp|Oceania Championships}} {{MedalGold|2016 Suva|69 kg}} {{MedalBronze|2012 Apia{{efn|Commonwealth Championships also}}|56 kg}} {{MedalBronze|2013 Brisbane|56 kg}} {{MedalBronze|2014 Le Mont-Dore|56 kg}} {{MedalComp|Pacific Games}} {{MedalGold|2015 Port Moresby|69 kg (clean & jerk)}} {{MedalComp|Pacific Mini Games}} {{MedalSilver|2013 Mata Utu|56 kg}} | updated = 30 January 2022 }} '''Fred Karoho Oala''' (born {{birth date|1996|09|12|df=y}}) is a Papua New Guinean former weightlifter.
==Biography== Oala is partly Motu-Koitabu from Kairuku.<ref name=2013Oceania />
At the age of 13 he was already made his international debut at the 2010 Oceania Weightlifting Championships in Suva, Fiji.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lifters chosen |url=https://www.thenational.com.pg/lifters-chosen/|publisher=The National|date=6 April 2010|accessdate=10 April 2026}}</ref><ref name=2013Oceania>{{cite news|title=Oala lifting weights to glory|url=https://www.thenational.com.pg/oala-lifting-weights-to-glory/|publisher=The National|date=18 July 2013|accessdate=10 April 2026}}</ref> At the 2013 Oceania Weightlifting Championships in Brisbane he won a total of three medals. He won the bronze medal in both the senior male and youth divisions, and gold the gold medal in the junior division. In addition to these achievements, he was awarded the Best Youth Male Lifter title.<ref name=2013Oceania />
He won the two silver medals and a bronze medal at the 2013 Pacific Mini Games.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mini Games chaf's diary|url=https://www.thenational.com.pg/mini-games-chef%E2%80%99s-diary/|publisher=The National|date=4 September 2013|accessdate=10 April 2026}}</ref>
He participated at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the 56 kg event.<ref>{{cite web|title=Weightlifting at the 2014 Commonwealth Games - Fred Oala|url=http://www.iwf.net/results/results-by-events/?event=291|publisher=iwf.net|accessdate=23 June 2016}}</ref> Days before the event his weightlifting shoes, that were held together with yellow tape, fell apart.<ref>{{cite web|title=Volunteer helps teenage weightlifter find new trainers|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/sports/volunteer-helps-teenage-weightlifter-find-new-trainers-idUSKBN0FR1RX/|publisher=Reuters|date=22 July 2014|accessdate=10 April 2026}}</ref> With help from a volunteer he received a pair to borrow and the volunteer ordered for him a new pair of weightlifting shoes from a specialist supplier.<ref>{{cite news|title=Volunteer helps teenage weightlifter find new trainers|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/volunteer-helps-teenage-weightlifter-find-new-trainers/jqdhr9mw8|publisher=SBS|date=22 July 2014|accessdate=10 April 2026}}</ref>
From late 2014 he started training at Oceania Weightlifting Institute Centre (OWIC) in Noumea, New Caledonia where he replaced Stevan Kari. In this perion changed from the 56 kg division to the 62 kg division to the 69 kg division.<ref>{{cite news|title=Oala up to the task |url=https://www.thenational.com.pg/oala-up-to-the-task/|publisher=The National|date=4 January 2015|accessdate=10 April 2026}}</ref><ref name=2015Pacific /> At these 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby he won the bronze medal in the clean & jerk his new 69 kg category division. He won alongside the Games also the silver medal at the Oceania Junior Championships.<ref name=2015Pacific>{{cite news|title=Oala wins bronze, grateful for experience|url=https://www.thenational.com.pg/oala-wins-bronze-grateful-for-experience/|publisher=The National|date=8 July 2015|accessdate=10 April 2026}}</ref>
He continued training in 2015 and 2016 at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute Centre.<ref name=2015Pacific /><ref>{{cite news|title=Overseas based lifters must compete in local competition|url=https://www.thenational.com.pg/overseas-based-lifters-must-compete-in-local-competition/|publisher=The National|date=2 June 2016|accessdate=10 April 2026}}</ref>
In 2016 he won the gold medal at the 2016 Oceania Weightlifting Championships.<ref>{{cite news|title=Weightlifters win gold, silver medals at Oceania champs|url=https://www.thenational.com.pg/weightlifters-win-gold-silver-medals-at-oceania-champs/|publisher=The National|date=2 June 2016|accessdate=10 April 2026}}</ref>
==Major competitions== {|class = "wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan=2 width=40|Year ! rowspan=2 width=250|Venue ! rowspan=2 width=60|Weight !colspan=4| Snatch (kg) !colspan=4| Clean & Jerk (kg) !rowspan=2 width=40| Total !rowspan=2 width=40| Rank |- ! width=40|1!! width=40|2!! width=40|3!! width=40|Rank!! width=40|1!! width=40|2!! width=40|3!! width=40|Rank |- ! colspan=13|Commonwealth Games |- |2014 || align=left|{{flagicon|Scotland}} Glasgow, Scotland|| 56 kg ||<s>85</s>||<s>85</s>||'''85'''||{{n/a}}||110||<s>115</s>||'''118'''||{{n/a}}||'''203'''||8 |- ! colspan=13|Pacific Games |- |2015 || align=left|{{flagicon|PNG}} Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea|| 69 kg ||'''110'''||<s>114</s>||<s>116</s>||7||145||150||154||{{bronze3}}||'''264'''||4 |}
;Medalbox note {{notelist}}
==References== <references/>
==External links== *{{sports links}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oala, Fred}} Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:Papua New Guinean male weightlifters Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Weightlifters at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Papua New Guinea Category:Pacific Games bronze medalists for Papua New Guinea Category:Pacific Games medalists in weightlifting Category:People from Central Province (Papua New Guinea)